York remains committed to Group 1 fight after City of York Stakes denied upgrade

York has vowed to continue its battle to have the Sky Bet City of York Stakes awarded Group 1 status, despite a rebuff by the European Pattern Committee, and will maintain its huge prize fund.

The course has made no secret of its desire to secure an upgrade for the 7f race and run it as a £500,000 contest in order to ensure the quality necessary for promotion.

But its application was rejected, even though the race's ratings reached the required standard, as the committee could not agree to the necessary unanimous support. The BHA Flat Pattern Committee described that outcome as "a great disappointment".

The course is keen to add a Group 1 race to the final day of its Ebor Festival and chief executive William Derby said: “York remains committed to, and proud of, the Sky Bet City of York Stakes and its wider race programme.

"During the last decade the City of York has risen from Listed status to the highest-rated Group 2 race in Britain.

"With recent winners including Space Blues and Kinross, this tremendous race has achieved Group 1 ratings for Group 1 prize-money and delivered fantastic racing for connections, racegoers and viewers."

Reflecting on the fight for Group 1 status, Derby said: "Throughout the past decade we and the BHA have been both open with, and received support and encouragement from, the European Pattern Committee for the progression of the race to be Europe’s only all-age Group 1 over seven furlongs before the Foret in October.

"We remain committed with our fantastic sponsors to the race and its £500,000 prize fund in 2024, and we will continue to work with the relevant authorities to seek a successful outcome.”

William Derby: "We remain committed with our fantastic sponsors to the race"Credit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

The EPC also rejected an application for the Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup at Ascot to be made a Group 1 race.

It is currently the only Group 2 contest on the Champions Day card but Nick Smith, the course's director of racing and public affairs, said: "We've always been very realistic about that promotion.

"The application has been put in several times because the ratings justify it, but the committee has to be satisfied that the overall European Pattern wouldn't be affected and the Prix Royal Oak is in the vicinity.

"We do want to see it promoted but we are pretty relaxed as to timing. The most important thing is that it gets Group 1 fields and Group 1 ratings every year, and therefore it's serving its purpose as a champions' long-distance race on Champions Day. It's serving its purpose as a de facto Group 1."

Trawlerman beats Kyprios in last year's Long Distance CupCredit: Alan Crowhurst

Three British races have been scrapped as a result of changes to the Pattern programme in 2024, including Salisbury's Sovereign Stakes, which was founded in 2000 and promoted to Group 3 status in 2004, but attracted fields of four and then five in the last two seasons.

Salisbury general manager Jeremy Martin said: "Discontinuing Salisbury's main race wasn't a decision taken lightly, but we discussed it with the BHA and it did seem there was one too many races for the milers in the second half of August.

"Ours was always going to struggle against the more valuable races like the Hungerford, the Celebration Mile and the Strensall Stakes. We weren't in a position to add any more prize-money to the £70,000 that it was.

Jeremy Martin: "Discontinuing Salisbury's main race wasn't a decision taken lightly"Credit: Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)

"It ran for 20 years as a Group 3 and very much held its own. We were proud of what it achieved but the race had run its course. It's sad but in the last two years there were small fields from poor entries and the writing was on the wall. We discussed it with the BHA and it was the right thing to do."

Outlining the highlights on the track's revised programme, Martin said: "We have a couple of new high-value novices, so we're not replacing it with a Class 6 handicap!

"We still have the Group 3 Dick Poole Stakes and three Listed races. The Dick Poole is doing very well and the Cathedral got moved to late-May last year and really seemed to work, as six of the nine runners ran at Royal Ascot — the third, Khaadem, won the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes and the winner, Run To Freedom, was second in the July Cup ."

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